Help create a smile this Christmas

Chantel Stefan and Stephanie Dean believe everybody deserves a smile, so they’re putting together 1,000 care packages for low-income adults on Vancouver Island just in time for Christmas.

The duo plan to distribute about 150 packages of toques, scarves, gloves hygiene items and baked goods to Greater Victoria shelters including Cool Aid Society’s Sandy Merriman and Next Step shelters as well as Anawim House in the coming weeks.

“We put the word out and we’ve had lots of people helping us out,” said Dean, who is looking to expand the Cumberland-based Everybody Deserves a Smile program to Victoria. “We have nine different people baking us cookies, Broad Street Dental donated 200 toothbrushes and The Good Planet Company is providing soap.”

Children at Margaret Jenkins after-school program are also pitching in to create homemade Christmas cards, but organizers are still looking for donations.

Find donation stations at the Fairfield Gonzales Community Association and at Margaret Jenkins and Sundance elementary schools, call Dean at 250-927-2575 or visit facebook.com/everybody.deserves.a.smile for more information.